


Musical Heroes part two: ZZ Top, the Scorpions

by DDElliott



Series: Musical Heroes [2]
Category: Music - Fandom, Scorpions (Band), ZZ Top (Band), rock music - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-13 21:15:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19259326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DDElliott/pseuds/DDElliott
Summary: My recollection of two great concerts





	Musical Heroes part two: ZZ Top, the Scorpions

Musical Heroes  
Part Two: ZZ Top, The Scorpions

Aside from being in the audience for The Rascals, the Vogues, the Platters and the Shirrelles, my first real rock concert experience came about unexpectedly one day when I was in my parents game room playing pool. During a get together at my parents’ house the Friday previous to the concert, an old acquaintance of mine asked me about my tastes in music and we found common ground among the various rock groups like Zeppelin and the Who. The following week Mark called me and asked if I wanted to go to a ZZ Top concert in Pittsburgh that Sunday. I knew ZZ Top well and liked their music a lot so I accepted the invitation for a free concert ticket. What I didn’t know until we got to the concert and looked for our seats was that Mark’s girlfriend at the time worked for a Pittsburgh radio station and had given him the tickets which were right down in front of the stage in the fifth row, center! Sitting right in front and up close was like a dream I never knew I had until I was actually there. Even the music playing over the sound system of the Civic Arena sounded awesome while we waited for the show to start, never mind the overwhelming sound that hit me when ZZ Top finally took the stage and I felt the beating of the bass drum thumping in my chest! Even though I didn’t have anything to compare the band to at that time in my young life I could tell immediately that these guys were the real deal. The fact that only three men could make that much sound was and still is amazing to me. An added bonus that night was that the middle aged couples that sat in front of us turned around and talked and joked with Mark and I and they turned out to be friends of Billy Gibbons (guitar/ vocals) and Dusty Hill (bass/ vocals). They showed us photos of them all together and told us stories. It was one of the best events that I ever attended. I couldn’t thank Mark enough for taking me and we ended up becoming really good friends for years to come.  
Even though Mark and I didn’t get to meet or talk to the Guys in ZZ Top, we did sit close enough to interact with them from our seats. During one song I smacked a loose beach ball that had been bounced around the stadium by the crowd and it landed on stage in front of Billy who kicked it back to me and smiled. It was a silly moment but one I cherish. Now skip ahead a year and I get a call from a friend asking if I want to see the Scorpions live at the same Civic Arena. Of course I say yes and then scramble to find a buddy of mine to go too. We arrive in time to see the opening act, Stryper leave the stage and that was done on purpose since that band sucked. Fortunately we received a bonus concert that night when Whitesnake happened to be passing through town and put on an impromptu show during the intermission. Then came the Scorps! They were amazing and strong that night. Beside me and my friends being there, some other friends of ours showed up that night and we ran into each other in the hallway after the show. It was around this time that I started getting into harder music but still kept returning to the old familiar bands I spent my teen years listening to. Several years passed before I attended another concert and that concert changed everything for me.


End file.
